YorksPast

The latest layout of the proposed Mt. Zion Commons, on the northeast corner of East Market Street and Mount Zion Road, was presented to the Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors on April 27, 2023 by the developers. That was done as a preview of their application of variance that will be heard/acted upon at the Springettsbury Township Zoning Hearing Board Public Meeting on Thursday May 4th at 6:00 P.M. in the York Area United Fire and Rescue Building, 50 Commons Drive, York, PA.

This latest development layout supersedes a design still found on the Bennett Williams Commercial web site. A post was written in early February which turned out to contain the same illustration used by Bennett Williams. As an addition, to the latest Mount Zion Commons layout shown to the Board of Supervisors a few days ago, a same-scale Google aerial (only visible at sides) was used to point out footprint of present location of the Modernaire Motel; which is not included in the proposed development.

In the meeting on April 27th it was learned Inch&Co. is the developer for Units 4 & 5. Each 4-story building will contain 70-apartments; for a total of 140-apartments. They will contain roughly 55% one bedroom and 45% two bedroom.

The Springettsbury Township Ordinance (Section 325-114) requires a minimum of 2 vehicle parking spaces per dwelling. In order to also build Units 2 & 3 as retail and restaurant buildings and a convenience store (Unit 1), only enough parking spaces are available around the apartment buildings to provide an average of 1.5 parking spaces per apartment.

The developer claims 1.5 parking spaces per apartment is becoming the new standard, especially when shared parking is available in the same complex. Shared parking means when parking spaces around apartments are full, the residents of the apartments can park in the spaces around the retail shops, restaurants, and convenience store.

The developer indicated examples would be provided at the Zoning Hearing Board Public Meeting where an average of 1.5 parking spaces per apartment has worked. One might ask for each of their examples: (1) Are those example apartments at, or near, full occupancy. And (2) Is nearby off-site auxiliary parking available or is street-side parking available; neither of which is the case for the proposed Mount Zion Commons.

If the apartments in Mount Zion Commons are built and an average of 1.5 parking spaces per apartment does not work out, the developer proposed all new apartment occupants be restricted to one parking space. I’m wondering does that mean if you have family or guests visiting, or even service vehicles; will they not be allowed to park on site?

For further details, Mount Zion Commons was the topic for about 45-minutes at Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors meeting of April 27, 2023. This link opens the YouTube video of that meeting. The Mount Zion Commons discussion starts at about the 14-minute mark.

Here is the CLASSIFIEDS notice of the developers of Mount Zion Commons’ application of variance that will be heard/acted upon at the Springettsbury Township Zoning Hearing Board Public Meeting on Thursday May 4th at 6:00 P.M. in the York Area United Fire and Rescue Building, 50 Commons Drive, York, PA.

Links to posts when development of this corner was proposed in 2015 include:

• These Places Matter in Springettsbury Township
• Springettsbury Township does not need another Shopping Center
• Bloomingdale, a Remarkable Historic Home
• The WEISER Sign in the Attic
• The Modernaire Motel, A Classic on The Lincoln Highway
• Builders of the Modernaire Motel
• Lost Landmark?
• Answering Your Questions about Rezoning for a Shopping Center on Corner of East Market Street and Mt. Zion Road in Springettsbury Township
• Rezoning Effort continues along Market Street and Mount Zion Corridor